Films & Schedules
- Oscar Submissions

ABU, SON OF ADAM

DIRECTOR: Salim Ahmed - INDIA

This year’s Indian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a quiet, contemplative film in which one man’s sincerity and virtue shine through. Aging Abu and his wife share the lifelong dream of devout Muslims to go on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca before they die. They register their names with a travel agent but soon realize that their ambition will require severe sacrifices. They sell everything they have of any value, including the jackfruit tree in front of their house. Although the tree is found to be hollow and the timber merchant is willing to take the...

This year’s Indian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a quiet, contemplative film in which one man’s sincerity and virtue shine through. Aging Abu and his wife share the lifelong dream of devout Muslims to go on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca before they die. They register their names with a travel agent but soon realize that their ambition will require severe sacrifices. They sell everything they have of any value, including the jackfruit tree in front of their house. Although the tree is found to be hollow and the timber merchant is willing to take the loss, Abu—being a true Muslim—will only accept money to go to Hajj according to the principles of Islam and turns down the offer. This rare tale of Muslim community life in the South Indian state of Kerala also won the Gold Lotus (Best Film Award) at the Indian National Film Awards. (112 mins.)

ATTENBERG

DIRECTOR: Athina Rachel Tsangari - GREECE

Attenberg is about Marina, a young woman living in a small coastal town who is infatuated with synth-pop band Suicide and the mammal documentaries of David Attenborough. Her other primary cultural influence is Monty Python, prompting her and her one friend Bella to adopt some Silly Walks. Despite help from her dying father, a visionary architect, and Bella, she struggles to understand the rituals of human interactions, attempting to make sense of her relationships with sex and death with the same detached manner demonstrated by her favorite naturalist. Given the oddities of human nature, will the virginal Marina ever overcome...

Attenberg is about Marina, a young woman living in a small coastal town who is infatuated with synth-pop band Suicide and the mammal documentaries of David Attenborough. Her other primary cultural influence is Monty Python, prompting her and her one friend Bella to adopt some Silly Walks. Despite help from her dying father, a visionary architect, and Bella, she struggles to understand the rituals of human interactions, attempting to make sense of her relationships with sex and death with the same detached manner demonstrated by her favorite naturalist. Given the oddities of human nature, will the virginal Marina ever overcome her repulsion at the idea of physical contact with the male of the species? Filled with playful set pieces, deadpan humor, and unexpected poignancy, Attenberg defies easy categorization other than as a likely candidate for a future cult classic. (97 mins.)

Filmography: The Slow Business of Going (00).

This year’s Greek submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

BREATHING

DIRECTOR: Karl Markovics - AUSTRIA

Nineteen-year-old Roman Kogler lives in a grim juvenile detention center on the outskirts of Vienna for having accidentally killed a minor. After a series of disastrous job tryouts, his compassionate parole officer finds him a place driving a truck for the city morgue, working on the team that collects cadavers—a job that gives Roman a sense of purpose for the first time in his life. After a surprising turn of events on the job, Roman is compelled to seek out the birth mother who abandoned him as a child. Perhaps the years of holding his breath for life to start...

Nineteen-year-old Roman Kogler lives in a grim juvenile detention center on the outskirts of Vienna for having accidentally killed a minor. After a series of disastrous job tryouts, his compassionate parole officer finds him a place driving a truck for the city morgue, working on the team that collects cadavers—a job that gives Roman a sense of purpose for the first time in his life. After a surprising turn of events on the job, Roman is compelled to seek out the birth mother who abandoned him as a child. Perhaps the years of holding his breath for life to start will be over. Markovics’ (star of the Oscar-winning Counterfeiters) film is this year’s Austrian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and was the winner of the Best European Film, Directors’ Fortnight, at the Cannes Film Festival. (90 mins.)

BULLHEAD

DIRECTOR: Michael R. Roskam - BELGIUM

In an unlikely setting for organized crime—the farmlands of Flanders—Bullhead plunges us into the corrupt underbelly of a mafia-run meat industry, where illegal use of growth hormones on cattle runs rampant. After a detective is murdered, Jacky, a grotesquely muscular man supped up on steroids, becomes suspicious of a potential partnership with a rival manufacturer. Compounding his weariness is the presence of Diederik. Flashbacks into Jacky’s childhood soon reveal the two men are linked by a physically traumatic, life-altering tragedy. A fascinating genre mash-up—a gritty, gonzo crime thriller with quirky humor, harrowing suspense, and elements of Frankenstein and Dr....

In an unlikely setting for organized crime—the farmlands of Flanders—Bullhead plunges us into the corrupt underbelly of a mafia-run meat industry, where illegal use of growth hormones on cattle runs rampant. After a detective is murdered, Jacky, a grotesquely muscular man supped up on steroids, becomes suspicious of a potential partnership with a rival manufacturer. Compounding his weariness is the presence of Diederik. Flashbacks into Jacky’s childhood soon reveal the two men are linked by a physically traumatic, life-altering tragedy. A fascinating genre mash-up—a gritty, gonzo crime thriller with quirky humor, harrowing suspense, and elements of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—Roskam’s film is this year’s Belgian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (124 mins.)

CIRKUS COLUMBIA

DIRECTOR: Danis Tanovic - BOSNIA

After living in exile in Germany for 20 years, Ditko returns to his hometown in Communist-free (1991) Yugoslavia to start a new life. He comes back in style: sexy girlfriend Azra, new Mercedes, loads of cash, and a precious cat named Bonny. But he also has revenge on his mind: his primary target is wife Lucija who failed to follow him to Germany when he was forced to flee. He kicks her out of her/their house while trying to reconnect with his now 20-year-old son, Martin, who is far more interested in Azra than in him. But soon war reaches...

After living in exile in Germany for 20 years, Ditko returns to his hometown in Communist-free (1991) Yugoslavia to start a new life. He comes back in style: sexy girlfriend Azra, new Mercedes, loads of cash, and a precious cat named Bonny. But he also has revenge on his mind: his primary target is wife Lucija who failed to follow him to Germany when he was forced to flee. He kicks her out of her/their house while trying to reconnect with his now 20-year-old son, Martin, who is far more interested in Azra than in him. But soon war reaches the town, and once again overriding life choices must be made. Tanovic uses his absurdist tale to illustrate the beginnings of the bloody internecine strife in Bosnia, making clear both the incredulity and opportunism set in motion by the dissolution of Yugoslavia. (113 mins.)

DECLARATION OF WAR

DIRECTOR: Valérie Donzelli - FRANCE

Romeo and Juliette face the ultimate test when they discover their newborn child is critically ill. Gathering friends and family, they confront the dark challenges as a form of warfare. Donzelli infuses the story with unexpected verve using a host of cinematic techniques, music, and heartbreaking performances that result in an unexpected film about a contemporary couple who surprise even themselves with their ability to fight not only for the life of their child but for each other. “A joy to watch. ... Few viewers will fail to be moved and charmed by this tale of a parent’s worst nightmare...

Romeo and Juliette face the ultimate test when they discover their newborn child is critically ill. Gathering friends and family, they confront the dark challenges as a form of warfare. Donzelli infuses the story with unexpected verve using a host of cinematic techniques, music, and heartbreaking performances that result in an unexpected film about a contemporary couple who surprise even themselves with their ability to fight not only for the life of their child but for each other. “A joy to watch. ... Few viewers will fail to be moved and charmed by this tale of a parent’s worst nightmare ... and to make it funny and romantic, with musical interludes, so that it plays like something Jacques Demy and François Truffaut might have cooked up together.”—Screen International(100 mins.)

Filmography: The Queen of Hearts (09).

This year’s French submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

FOOTNOTE

DIRECTOR: Joseph Cedar - ISRAEL

This wry, painfully funny, intellectual tragicomedy was the winner of the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes and is this year’s Israeli submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Thanks to a clerical error, Eliezer, a respected, if little-known Talmudic scholar, is informed that he’s won the coveted Israel Prize; in truth, the prize was meant for his son, Uriel, a much more respected, widely-read Talmudist. The prize committee implores Uriel to help them rectify the sticky situation, but Uriel argues that his father deserves the honor for his years of work. To take it back would kill him. Meanwhile,...

This wry, painfully funny, intellectual tragicomedy was the winner of the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes and is this year’s Israeli submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Thanks to a clerical error, Eliezer, a respected, if little-known Talmudic scholar, is informed that he’s won the coveted Israel Prize; in truth, the prize was meant for his son, Uriel, a much more respected, widely-read Talmudist. The prize committee implores Uriel to help them rectify the sticky situation, but Uriel argues that his father deserves the honor for his years of work. To take it back would kill him. Meanwhile, Eliezer plans to use the occasion as an opportunity to take down his son and the whole generation of à la mode Talmudists who have overlooked him. Both the ironies of a father-son conflict and the weight of a culture’s intellectual past find memorable examination. (106 mins.)

Filmography: Time of Favor (00), Campfire (04), Beaufort (07).

Sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.

THE FRONT LINE

DIRECTOR: Jang Hun - SOUTH KOREA

“The Front Line offers a classically hellish picture of frontline warfare but turns several of the clichés of war movies inside out. Most of the film is set on one (fictional) hill which has been captured and recaptured by both sides during the Korean War, with considerable loss of life each time. A young officer sent to investigate a possible spy and what looks like a sinister case of ‘friendly fire’ has surprises awaiting him, including a reunion with an old friend believed to be dead, run-ins with a crack North Korean sniper, rife indiscipline and insubordination, and a surprising...

“The Front Line offers a classically hellish picture of frontline warfare but turns several of the clichés of war movies inside out. Most of the film is set on one (fictional) hill which has been captured and recaptured by both sides during the Korean War, with considerable loss of life each time. A young officer sent to investigate a possible spy and what looks like a sinister case of ‘friendly fire’ has surprises awaiting him, including a reunion with an old friend believed to be dead, run-ins with a crack North Korean sniper, rife indiscipline and insubordination, and a surprising kind of fraternization between the two sides. Aided by a fine cast and superb period production design, Jang Hun hits the premier rank of Korean directors.”—Vancouver Film Festival (133 mins.)

Filmography: Rough Cut (08), Secret Reunion (10).

This year’s Korean submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

HABANASTATION

DIRECTOR: Ian Padrón - CUBA

Cuban director Ian Padrón presents his first feature-length film as “a fictional story about reality.” Tracing the lives of two Cuban classmates with contrasting lives, Padrón follows Mayito, a young boy whose wealthy jazz pianist father showers him with privilege, who gets lost and wanders blindly into the dangers of Carlos’ West Havana neighborhood, La Timba. What follows is a heartwarming journey of friendship and inspirational discovery as the selfish Mayito learns there are other joys than having the latest PlayStation. Featuring members of the internationally renowned children’s theater company La Colmenita, Padrón’s stylish film offers a telling portrait of...

Cuban director Ian Padrón presents his first feature-length film as “a fictional story about reality.” Tracing the lives of two Cuban classmates with contrasting lives, Padrón follows Mayito, a young boy whose wealthy jazz pianist father showers him with privilege, who gets lost and wanders blindly into the dangers of Carlos’ West Havana neighborhood, La Timba. What follows is a heartwarming journey of friendship and inspirational discovery as the selfish Mayito learns there are other joys than having the latest PlayStation. Featuring members of the internationally renowned children’s theater company La Colmenita, Padrón’s stylish film offers a telling portrait of the inequality in Cuban society while telling a story about human nature that resonates with viewers of all ages. (91 mins.)

First Feature.

This year’s Cuban submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

JOSÉ Y PILAR

DIRECTOR: Miguel Gonçalves Mendes - PORTUGAL

Co-produced by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar together with Fernando Meirelles, this affectionate portrait of Portugal’s Nobel Prize winner José Saramago reveals the struggle between the very private man and the world-famous artist. A modestly successful writer at home, Saramago became an international literary giant through the prodding of his Spanish wife, Pilar del Rio. José is an unforgettable love story of genuine soul mates: according to Saramago, “I have ideas for novels, and Pilar has ideas for life.” The film captures the media whirlwind that surrounds the Saramagos after the prize, as well as the quiet, tender moments the couple...

Co-produced by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar together with Fernando Meirelles, this affectionate portrait of Portugal’s Nobel Prize winner José Saramago reveals the struggle between the very private man and the world-famous artist. A modestly successful writer at home, Saramago became an international literary giant through the prodding of his Spanish wife, Pilar del Rio. José is an unforgettable love story of genuine soul mates: according to Saramago, “I have ideas for novels, and Pilar has ideas for life.” The film captures the media whirlwind that surrounds the Saramagos after the prize, as well as the quiet, tender moments the couple shared as his health began to fail. (117 mins.)

THE LIFE OF FISH

DIRECTOR: Matías Bize - CHILE

At a house party, a handsome man wanders around catching up with friends he has not seen for some years. A travel writer now based in Berlin, Andre appears to be living an exciting international life, and yet something has drawn him back home to Santiago. As the night goes on, we realize that a tragedy binds this group—an event that was also the impetus for Andre’s departure from Chile years ago. Moreover, there is someone at the party he goes to great lengths to avoid. But she is the very person he most needs to see. The weight of...

At a house party, a handsome man wanders around catching up with friends he has not seen for some years. A travel writer now based in Berlin, Andre appears to be living an exciting international life, and yet something has drawn him back home to Santiago. As the night goes on, we realize that a tragedy binds this group—an event that was also the impetus for Andre’s departure from Chile years ago. Moreover, there is someone at the party he goes to great lengths to avoid. But she is the very person he most needs to see. The weight of missed opportunities hangs in the air and we are left to contemplate: if one could turn back time, would the outcome be any different? (83 mins.)

MONSIEUR LAZHAR

DIRECTOR: Philippe Falardeau - CANADA

When a group of Montreal students finds that their beloved teacher has committed suicide, the shock is traumatizing. Her replacement, Algerian refugee Bachir Lazhar, now has the doubly difficult task of reaching his distraught students while securing his own asylum from past tragedies in his homeland. Falardeau tackles both threads with a delicate touch, bringing wit and warmth to the classroom scenes and granting the political appropriate gravity. As Bachir and his students come to terms with loss, guilt, and other issues that life has prematurely thrown at them, insight, empathy, and eloquence shine through. “With Falardeau’s gentle humor and...

When a group of Montreal students finds that their beloved teacher has committed suicide, the shock is traumatizing. Her replacement, Algerian refugee Bachir Lazhar, now has the doubly difficult task of reaching his distraught students while securing his own asylum from past tragedies in his homeland. Falardeau tackles both threads with a delicate touch, bringing wit and warmth to the classroom scenes and granting the political appropriate gravity. As Bachir and his students come to terms with loss, guilt, and other issues that life has prematurely thrown at them, insight, empathy, and eloquence shine through. “With Falardeau’s gentle humor and elegant touch, Monsieur Lazhar tells a gorgeous story about a man who transcends his own grief and tragedy to help his young students process death and loss in their lives.”—Sundance Film Festival (94 mins.)

Filmography: The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge (00), Congorama (06), It’s Not Me, I Swear! (09).

This year’s Canadian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA

DIRECTOR: Nuri Bilge Ceylan - TURKEY

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, Ceylan’s story begins as a small caravan of cars snakes its way through the nocturnal countryside looking for where a murdered man was buried. Yet every time the confessed killer points out the grave, the gravediggers come up empty. Much of the landscape looks alike, it’s dark out, and anyway the killer claims he was drunk. As the increasingly frustrating investigation wears on, far more is revealed than where the body is buried. Through quick looks, furtive gestures, and offhand bits of dialogue, Ceylan reveals in this seemingly pacific Turkish outback a...

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, Ceylan’s story begins as a small caravan of cars snakes its way through the nocturnal countryside looking for where a murdered man was buried. Yet every time the confessed killer points out the grave, the gravediggers come up empty. Much of the landscape looks alike, it’s dark out, and anyway the killer claims he was drunk. As the increasingly frustrating investigation wears on, far more is revealed than where the body is buried. Through quick looks, furtive gestures, and offhand bits of dialogue, Ceylan reveals in this seemingly pacific Turkish outback a festering world of jealousies and resentments as the story behind the murder gradually emerges. “Impeccably photographed (by Gökhan Tiryaki) and with a standout performance by Taner Birsel as a police inspector, this is Ceylan’s most impressive film yet.”—Film Comment(157 mins.)

Filmography: The Town (97), Clouds of May (99), Distant (02), Climates (06), Three Monkeys (08).

This year’s Turkish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Dr. Pelin Basci, Associate Professor of Turkish Language and Literature and Associate Chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Portland State University, will introduce the film.

THE ORATOR

DIRECTOR: Tusi Tamasese - NEW ZEALAND

While The Orator’s status as Samoa’s first feature film makes it a native landmark, writer/director Tusi Tamasese’s deft command of atmospherics, tone, and rhythm transforms it into a genuinely noteworthy achievement. Primarily employing first-time actors to bring this delicately wrought tale to life, Tamasese centers his film on Saili, a diminutive taro farmer who lives with his wife Vaaiga and her willful daughter at the outskirts of a remote jungle village. When Vaaiga’s estranged family suddenly demands her return, Saili must settle the dispute through the Samoan tradition of oration. As he prepares, we witness a sense of self-worth being...

While The Orator’s status as Samoa’s first feature film makes it a native landmark, writer/director Tusi Tamasese’s deft command of atmospherics, tone, and rhythm transforms it into a genuinely noteworthy achievement. Primarily employing first-time actors to bring this delicately wrought tale to life, Tamasese centers his film on Saili, a diminutive taro farmer who lives with his wife Vaaiga and her willful daughter at the outskirts of a remote jungle village. When Vaaiga’s estranged family suddenly demands her return, Saili must settle the dispute through the Samoan tradition of oration. As he prepares, we witness a sense of self-worth being instilled in Saili, lending him the resilience necessary to fight for what he holds most dear. And when the climactic war of words erupts, we find ourselves hanging on every heartfelt word that leaves his lips. (110 mins.)

PATAGONIA

DIRECTOR: Marc Evans - GREAT BRITAIN

In the midst of the stunning mountains of Patagonia is an almost mythical community of Welsh natives, born of settlers from the 1800s. Evans incorporates the culture and countryside of both countries to tell the tales of two women. In Cardiff, Gwen and husband Rhys have felt a strain on their relationship. When Rhys is sent on a photographic project to Patagonia, Gwen sees a chance to repair their relationship with a bit of escapism. In Patagonia, elderly Argentinean Cerys is starting a pilgrimage to the Welsh countryside that was once her mother’s home. Gwen’s quest for meaning in her...

In the midst of the stunning mountains of Patagonia is an almost mythical community of Welsh natives, born of settlers from the 1800s. Evans incorporates the culture and countryside of both countries to tell the tales of two women. In Cardiff, Gwen and husband Rhys have felt a strain on their relationship. When Rhys is sent on a photographic project to Patagonia, Gwen sees a chance to repair their relationship with a bit of escapism. In Patagonia, elderly Argentinean Cerys is starting a pilgrimage to the Welsh countryside that was once her mother’s home. Gwen’s quest for meaning in her family’s future leads to unwelcome adventure, while Cerys’s search for the truth about her heritage produces no easy answers. Their stories make Patagonia a film of intimate moments played out against sweeping panoramic landscapes. (118 mins.)

POSTCARD

DIRECTOR: Kaneto Shindo - JAPAN

This late-life masterpiece—his 49th film—won writer/director Shindo the Tokyo Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize and is this year’s Japanese submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. A powerful and moving anti-war film driven by Shindo’s own experience, it focuses on the impact of World War II at home. Toward the war’s end, 100 middle-aged Japanese soldiers are ordered to the frontlines. Expecting that he will not return, one soldier, Sadazo, leaves a postcard from his wife Tomoko with his bunkmate, Matsuyama, asking that he let her know he appreciated it. Matsuyama is one of only six men who survive...

This late-life masterpiece—his 49th film—won writer/director Shindo the Tokyo Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize and is this year’s Japanese submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. A powerful and moving anti-war film driven by Shindo’s own experience, it focuses on the impact of World War II at home. Toward the war’s end, 100 middle-aged Japanese soldiers are ordered to the frontlines. Expecting that he will not return, one soldier, Sadazo, leaves a postcard from his wife Tomoko with his bunkmate, Matsuyama, asking that he let her know he appreciated it. Matsuyama is one of only six men who survive from his unit. By the time he finally arrives at Tomoko’s home to deliver Sadazo’s message, both of them have been through unspeakable tragedy. In scenes filled with both rage and humor, the two survivors begin to find a way to live with their despair. (114 mins.)

THE TURIN HORSE

DIRECTOR: Béla Tarr - HUNGARY

The prologue describes an (apocryphal) event in the life of Friedrich Nietzsche—witnessing a carriage driver whipping his horse, the philosopher flung himself around the defenseless animal, then collapsed, a mute invalid for the final decade of his life. But what of the horse? Recalling both Tarr’s masterpiece Sátántangó and the parable-like work of Bresson, Tarr introduces the miserable cabman Ohlsdorfer leading his long-suffering steed home to their hovel, both to be cared for by his granddaughter. The Ohlsdorfers’ lives consist of drudgery, subsistence on potatoes, and repetition, monumentally staged and hypnotically paced by Tarr, aided by Fred Keleman’s striking camerawork...

The prologue describes an (apocryphal) event in the life of Friedrich Nietzsche—witnessing a carriage driver whipping his horse, the philosopher flung himself around the defenseless animal, then collapsed, a mute invalid for the final decade of his life. But what of the horse? Recalling both Tarr’s masterpiece Sátántangó and the parable-like work of Bresson, Tarr introduces the miserable cabman Ohlsdorfer leading his long-suffering steed home to their hovel, both to be cared for by his granddaughter. The Ohlsdorfers’ lives consist of drudgery, subsistence on potatoes, and repetition, monumentally staged and hypnotically paced by Tarr, aided by Fred Keleman’s striking camerawork and Mihály Vig’s evocative score. Is the horse a symbol of universal suffering? Of humanity’s failures? Something else? No easy answers to Tarr’s extended metaphysical riddle. (146 mins.)

VOLCANO

DIRECTOR: Rúnar Rúnarsson - ICELAND

This year’s Icelandic submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a “coming-of-age story about a 67-year-old man.” It opens with elegiac images of a volcanic eruption that devastated a coastal town before fast-forwarding to the present—when Hannes, a survivor of the disaster, is retiring from his job as a school custodian. He advises his successor that it’s best if the students fear him; at his sparsely attended retirement party, Hannes responds to the principal’s gently teasing farewell by saying, “My skin is thicker than a shark’s. I can take it.” But can he? Hannes attempts suicide; upon failing,...

This year’s Icelandic submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is a “coming-of-age story about a 67-year-old man.” It opens with elegiac images of a volcanic eruption that devastated a coastal town before fast-forwarding to the present—when Hannes, a survivor of the disaster, is retiring from his job as a school custodian. He advises his successor that it’s best if the students fear him; at his sparsely attended retirement party, Hannes responds to the principal’s gently teasing farewell by saying, “My skin is thicker than a shark’s. I can take it.” But can he? Hannes attempts suicide; upon failing, he returns home to his long-suffering wife, adult children, and grandchild. As they share their lives over dinner, Hannes can only gripe about the soup. Then a pair of mishaps—one trivial, the other devastating—forces Hannes to reassess his armored emotional isolation. (99 mins.)

WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

DIRECTOR: Nadine Labaki - LEBANON

In a remote Lebanese village, Christians and Muslims have lived together all their lives, largely in peace despite occasional flare-ups precipitated by external forces. Although semi-isolated from the outside world, landmines nevertheless surround the countryside and intermittent television reception makes all aware of the religious conflicts that grip the country. To combat their edgy men from absorbing outside tension and localizing violence, the women are constantly inventive in creating distractions—everything from importing Ukrainian showgirls to baking hash cookies to keep everyone mellow. But when there is a death from crossfire outside the village, it is time for stronger measures. Labaki’s...

In a remote Lebanese village, Christians and Muslims have lived together all their lives, largely in peace despite occasional flare-ups precipitated by external forces. Although semi-isolated from the outside world, landmines nevertheless surround the countryside and intermittent television reception makes all aware of the religious conflicts that grip the country. To combat their edgy men from absorbing outside tension and localizing violence, the women are constantly inventive in creating distractions—everything from importing Ukrainian showgirls to baking hash cookies to keep everyone mellow. But when there is a death from crossfire outside the village, it is time for stronger measures. Labaki’s warm, charming story of female solidarity and good sense, broad and uplifting, won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is this year’s Lebanese submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (100 mins.)

WOMAN IN THE SEPTIC TANK

DIRECTOR: Marlon Rivera - PHILIPPINES

Woman in the Septic Tank chronicles a comic day in the life of three ambitious, passionate, but misguided filmmakers determinedly intent on making an award-winning film. Their screenplay will show the real essence of Philippine culture: poverty. The story will follow Mila, a mother from the slums who out of desperation has sold her child to a pedophile. As they discuss the possible ways to do the film, the movie-within-a-movie gets reborn: as a gritty, no-frills, neo-realist film; a glossy musical; an over-the-top melodrama; and a docudrama using non-actors. Visiting the dump, excitement sets in when they see the “beauty”...

Woman in the Septic Tank chronicles a comic day in the life of three ambitious, passionate, but misguided filmmakers determinedly intent on making an award-winning film. Their screenplay will show the real essence of Philippine culture: poverty. The story will follow Mila, a mother from the slums who out of desperation has sold her child to a pedophile. As they discuss the possible ways to do the film, the movie-within-a-movie gets reborn: as a gritty, no-frills, neo-realist film; a glossy musical; an over-the-top melodrama; and a docudrama using non-actors. Visiting the dump, excitement sets in when they see the “beauty” of the squalor around them. But soon enough they are faced with reality as they come face to face with the real effects of their chosen subject. A cheeky parody about misguided ambitions, making movies, and the romanticization of poverty, Woman is this year’s Philippine submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (87 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by the Council of Filipino American Associations, Oregon and Southwest Washington and the Philippine Consulate General of Oregon.